The first product in the SanDisk Express line is the SanDisk ExpressCard, a flash memory card designed for a new generation of professional camcorders that record to ExpressCards rather than magnetic tape, hard discs or optical discs.

The SanDisk ExpressCard is expected to be available in November, in 8 gigabyte (GB)1 and 16 gigabyte capacities. Recording time for high-definition video capture, at 35 megabits per second, will be approximately 30 minutes on the 8GB card and 60 minutes on the 16GB card2.

Sony is the first major video equipment manufacturer to adopt ExpressCards as video recording media, with its new XDCAM EX camcorder. SanDisk and Sony have jointly developed SxS, a specification to verify that ExpressCard memory cards will support the high-speed performance required for professional video. The SanDisk ExpressCard carries the SxS logo, and is expected to be fully compatible with the XDCAM EX, which has two ExpressCard slots.

"With the SanDisk ExpressCard, professional videographers for the first time will have access to a high-speed, solid-state digital recording solution," said Wes Brewer, vice president of SanDisk's Cards and Accessories Division. "What's more, because the PCI Express interface is an open industry standard, and because of the continuing decline in the cost of flash, we expect other video equipment manufacturers to adopt this compelling new format."

ExpressCard is a standard created by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) as a successor to the PC Card standard. By connecting directly to a computer's PCI Express bus, ExpressCards can read and write data at least 2.5 times faster than PC Cards. Also, ExpressCards are half the size of PC Cards - allowing slimmer designs in notebook computers and ExpressCard-based camcorders.

Solid-state recording using flash memory is widely viewed as the future of video. Camcorders become lighter, more durable and gain battery life without the many moving parts required for turning tape reels or disc spindles. Digital video can also be quickly transferred into computers for processing with non-linear editing (NLE) applications.

Tanya Chuang, director of worldwide retail product marketing for the high performance imaging market at SanDisk, said: "The SanDisk ExpressCard has been designed for super-fast downloads of large video files and is ideally suited to editing in the field. Video can be quickly off-loaded to a notebook computer, with no extra cables or readers required, so the card can go back to work in the video camera as fast as possible."

"I've been using SanDisk Extreme cards for several years in my still photography work, because their high performance reduces shot-to-shot time and accelerates the process of downloading images from card to computer," said Robert Farber, an award-winning fine-art and fashion photographer and videographer. "I'm looking forward to trying out the SanDisk ExpressCard, so I can gain the same kind of workflow advantage when I'm shooting video."

Expected Pricing and Availability

The SanDisk ExpressCard is expected to be available in November in North America and Europe, in two capacities: 8GB, with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $499.99 in the United States; and 16GB, with a U.S. MSRP of $899.99.

SanDisk is the original inventor of flash storage cards and is the world's largest supplier of flash data storage card products, using its patented, high-density flash memory and controller technology. SanDisk is headquartered in Milpitas, California, and has operations worldwide, with more than half its sales outside the U.S.

SanDisk and the SanDisk logo are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the U.S. and other countries. SanDisk Express is a trademark of SanDisk Corporation. ExpressCard is a trademark of the PCMCIA. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective holder(s).

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including expectations for new product introductions, specifications, applications, markets, pricing, customer acceptance and customers that are based on our current expectations and involve numerous risks and uncertainties that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate. Risks that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate include among others: market demand for our products may grow more slowly than our expectations, there may be a slower adoption rate for these products in new markets that we are targeting, our products may not perform as expected or be available when or at the prices expected and the other risks detailed from time-to-time under the caption "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including, but not limited to, our Form 10-K and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. We do not intend to update the information contained in this press release.